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QUICK INFORMATION SERIES 


AMERICAN BAPTIST 


FOREIGN MISSION SOCIETY 


SOUTH INDIA 


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THE TELUGU MISSION 


1. A People Without a Country 


HE Telugus are supposed to be de- 
scendants of one of the ancient 
races of India, but now they have 
no country called by theirown name. 
They occupy a territory in South In- 
dia somewhat larger than New Eng- 
land in area, and extending from a 
point near Madras northward a dis- 
tance of 500 miles. In population 
they number about 20,000,000. ‘‘ If 
= that man had a white face, he would 
be the image of my father,” exclaimed one of our mission- 
aries after meeting acertain Telugu. Their skin is very dark, 
but their features are strikingly Caucasian. They live ina 
region often visited by famine, and many of them are very 
poor; however, they manifest such trustfulness and depend- 
ence that they are spoken of as a ‘‘ nation of children.” 


2. Hinduism 


The religion of the Telugus is the Hinduism of India. Its 
idolatry is bewildering, claiming to recognize 330,000,000 
gods, whose images are hideous and revolting. The cruel- 


ties of the system tend to destroy all human feeling It is in- 
expressibly vile and degrading, yet from among these idol- 
aters God has claimed a people for himself. Paul might say 
to the Telugu Christians as he did to the Corinthians, 
“*And such were some of you, but ye are washed, but ye 
are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord 
Jesus.”’ 
3. The Story of the ‘‘Lone Star’’ 

In 1835 Rev. Amos Sutton, an English Baptist missionary 
of Orissa, was in this country and spoke before the Triennial 
Convention at Richmond. His earnest appeal to American 
Baptists to establish a mission among the Telugus received a 
favorable response. Rev. Samuel Day, the first missionary 
who was sent out, settled at Nellore, which for 26 years was 
the only station of the mission. 


The Weary Waiting 

The Telugus did not receive the gospel readily. Year 
after year went by, and scarcely a convert was gained. Of 
the little church of seven members in 1846, only two were 
Telugus, and Mr. Day was compelled to leave them and come 
to America on account of illness. A wonderful thing in the 
story of this mission is the way the missionaries loved the 
Telugus ‘‘ while they were yet sinners.”’ ‘‘Do not give up 
the mission,’’ pleaded Mr. Day, ‘‘ but give me a man to 
return with me;’’ and in response Lyman Jewett went with 
him in 1848. 

The ‘‘Lone Star’’ 

But those at home had not the faith of those on the field. 
A deputation from America, which visited Nellore, found such 
meager results that they were inclined to consider discon- 
tinuing the mission. The question came up for decision at 
Albany in 1853. One speaker said, pointing to a map where 
the stations were marked by stars, ‘‘ There are many to care 
for the brilliant constellation in Burma, but who will care 
for the lone star of Nellore?’’ That phrase stirred the faith 
and poetic vision of Samuel F. Smith, and that night he 
wrote the hymn “ Lone Star”: 


Shine on, “* Lone Star,” thy radiance bright 
Shall spread o’er all the eastern sky. 


It was then decided to reenforce the Telugu Mission. 


Prayer Meeting Hill 


Wonderful was the faith of those laborers! In 1854 Mr. 
Jewett and his wife visited Ongole with some native helpers. 
Upon the hill above the town they kneltin prayer. ‘‘ Julia,’ 
said Mr. Jewett to his Bible woman, pointing to a spot near 
by, ‘‘ would not that be a good place for a mission house?” 
In 1861 a house on that very place came into Mr. Jewett’s 
possession, and Dr. Clough lived there when, later, he went 
to Ongole. Still the mission did not prosper, and in 1862 
it was again proposed to abandon it. Mr. Jewett, then in 
this country, said that he would never abandon the Telugus, 
but would return and die there. ‘‘ Well then,” said the Sec- 
retary, ‘‘we must send somebody with you, to give you 
Christian burial.’”’ Rev. John E. Clough was appointed in 
1864 and returned with Mr. Jewett. 


“Ye See Your Calling ’’ 


Mr. Clough remained a short time in Nellore, but his par- 
ticular destination was Ongole. There he organized the 
little church on January 1, 1876, with eight members. At 
first the caste people showed much interest, but they said, 
‘‘If the outcastes are received, we must go away.”’ A crisis 
was at hand, but in a providential manner the attention of the 
missionary was called to the words of Paul, ‘‘ Ye see your _ 
calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, 
not many mighty, not many noble are called”; and so he 
decided to preach to all who would listen, regardless of class. 


The Great Ingathering 


In 1877 there came a great famine. Missionary work gave 
way to efforts to save the lives of the people. Now the gospel 
seed, so faithfully sown for many years, began to bear fruit. 
Hundreds applied for baptism, but none were received, lest 
their motives might be unworthy. When the famine was 
over, Dr. Clough sent word for all candidates to meet him 
near Ongole. Six thousand came. Many were advised to 
wait, but the next day, July 3, 1878, 2,222 were baptized in 
the Gundalacumma River. Large numbers of baptisms con- 
tinued every year until 1890, when another great revival 


occurred, On December 28, 1890, 1,671 converts were baptized 
at Ongole, and nearly 10,000 altogether in various parts of the 
field in five months. 


4, Changing Attitude of the Caste People 


The people of the great Sudra caste, the middle class, are 
showing remarkable friendliness in many places, not only towards 
the missionaries but also towards the hitherto despised native 
Christians. At several stations Sudras are openly becoming 
disciples and entering the churches, while large numbers have 
privately acknowledged themselves Christians, but fear to break 
their caste relationships. Even the Brahmans in several] places 
are laying aside their supercilious air of superiority and are show- 
ing respect and friendliness to the Christians. Large ingather- 
ings from the caste peoples may be expected before long. 


5. Development 

The large ingatherings have necessitated careful division of the 
field, the opening of many new stations and the sending of a 
large number of missionaries. Educational, industrial and medi- 
cal work have been the natural outgrowth of the great harvest. 
The Ramapatnam Theological Seminary and the high schools 
are doing a great work among our young people, while schools 
of lower grades for both boys and girls are laying broad found- 
ations. Industrial work is yet in the experimental stage, and 
ways and means for promoting self-support call for much prayer- 
ful consideration. That they in their poverty support a home 
mission society and a foreign mission in Natal, is inspiring to us, 
and proves how God has rewarded the faith of the early mission- 
aries and the efforts of those laboring there in later years. 


Contributions for the work of the American Baptist Foreign Mission Society 
may be sent to any of the District Secretaries, or to the Treasurer, Box 41, 
Boston, Mass. 

Address the Literature Department, American Baptist Foreign Mission Society, 
Box 41, Boston, Mass., for the following : — 

Extra copies of this leaflet. Price per doz., 5 cents; per hundred, 25 cents. 

An historical leaflet, ‘‘ Missions in South India.” Price, ro cents, 

“The Revival in India.” Price, 3 cents. 

Catalog of Publications. Free. : 

Handbook of the Foreign Mission Society. Price, 2ocents. | 

Annual Report of the American Baptist Foreign Mission Society. Free, on 
receipt of 6 cents for postage. 


q7o-2 Revised Ed. 5M-Oct., 1911. 


